Rangers left themselves with work to do to see off Servette after a narrow 2-1 win over the Swiss side in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifying round at Ibrox.

Skipper James Tavernier scored a penalty in the sixth minute before striker Cyriel Dessers knocked in a second eight minutes later for his first Gers goal.

The Light Blues were in command but, just before the break, Servette attacker Chris Bedia reduced the deficit from the spot after the VAR intervened to flag up a Dessers handball.

Servette’s hapless David Douline, who conceded the penalty for a foul on Todd Cantwell, was sent off in the 59th minute for picking up the second of two yellow cards for a foul on the Light Blues midfielder to leave his side with 10 men for more than half an hour.

However, the resolute visitors prevented further damage and will fancy their chances of turning the tie around in Switzerland next Tuesday night.

Veteran Gael Monfils stunned Stefanos Tsitsipas to reach the third round of the National Bank Open in Toronto.

The flamboyant former top-10 star has struggled with injuries over the past year and is ranked down at 276 but showed he still possesses the skills to trouble the very best with a 6-4 6-3 victory over fourth seed Tsitsipas.

The Greek, who won a title in Mexico last weekend, made a lot of mistakes, particularly on his forehand wing, but Monfils, three weeks short of his 37th birthday, was excellent in defence and attack.

Home favourite Milos Raonic continued his resurgence, meanwhile, following up his upset of Frances Tiafoe by seeing off qualifier Taro Daniel 6-4 6-3.

The former Wimbledon finalist did not compete between July 2021 and this June because of injuries and is unsure what the future holds but he has made it back-to-back victories at the Canadian Masters event for the first time in seven years.

He next faces American Mackenzie McDonald, who knocked out sixth seed Andrey Rublev 6-4 6-3, while second seed Daniil Medvedev is safely through after a 6-2 7-5 win over Matteo Arnaldi.

Summer signing Jason Knight scored twice as Bristol City thrashed Oxford 5-1 in an entertaining Carabao Cup first-round clash at Ashton Gate.

Oxford’s Billy Bodin cancelled out Harry Cornick’s opener, but Knight’s brace either side of the interval put the hosts in charge before Nahki Wells and Kal Naismith added further goals.

The Championship side took a 15th-minute lead when debutant left-back Haydon Roberts combined well with Anis Mehmeti on the left and crossed low for Cornick to shoot home from close range.

But Oxford had created several chances before then and deservedly equalised on the half hour through former Bristol Rovers player Bodin’s looping far post header from a Fin Stevens cross.

City were in front again five minutes later ex-Derby County midfielder Knight fired past James Beadle from 12 yards after Mehmeti’s cross was only half cleared.

Knight came up with a repeat performance two minutes after the break, netting with another low drive from a Roberts cross.

Three minutes later, Wells broke clear on to a defensive error and rounded Beadle before slotting the fourth.

Naismith volleyed the fifth seconds after going on as a 61st-minute substitute before another home switch gave a debut to 17-year-old attacker Ephraim Yeboah.

Leeds made hard work of reaching the second round of the Carabao Cup with a 2-1 home win over League One side Shrewsbury at a packed Elland Road.

The much-changed Championship newcomers trailed to Taylor Perry’s first-half opener but progressed thanks to goals from Joe Gelhardt and Pascal Struijk early in the second period.

Leo Hjelde and Archie Gray both had early efforts for the home side and Ian Poveda should have done better 25 minutes in but his under-hit low shot was comfortable for Marko Marosi.

Shrewsbury grabbed the lead just two minutes later when Perry was allowed to run at goal and his shot deflected off a defender and went in off the post, giving debutant Karl Darlow no chance.

Leeds were level seven minutes into the second half as Poveda’s shot was saved by Marosi and Gelhardt directed the ball into the net off his thigh.

They soon had a second as half-time substitute Struijk volleyed home left-footed at the far post after a corner had been headed on.

Poveda shot off target with 20 minutes to go and Dan James had an effort deflected wide but Daniel Farke’s side had already done enough to progress.

Hearts head coach Frankie McAvoy is expecting a “real tough game” when his side come up against Rosenborg in the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round first-leg in Norway.

The Jambos will be looking to make it to the group stage for the second consecutive year but need to beat the 26-time Norwegian champions and would then meet either Hajduk Split or PAOK if they are to play in the main draw again, and McAvoy is not underestimating their opponents.

He told a press conference: “We are expecting a real tough game if I’m honest.

“I think they are undefeated in six as well so that shows what kind of form they are on but we are prepared as best as we can coming here.

“It’s a big game there’s no doubt about that, we’ve set a few aims for ourselves to try and qualify to get into the group stages, we’ve got a tough opponent there’s no doubt about that.

“We will do our utmost, do our best here to take a good positive result back to a full house at Tynecastle and that can be a daunting task for anybody.”

Hearts started their league campaign in style on Saturday with a 2-0 win over St Johnstone thanks to goals from Yutaro Oda and Lawrence Shankland.

In contrast, Rosenborg sit eighth in Norway’s Eliteserien but have recently seen an upturn in form, winning each of their last four league games.

McAvoy continued: “In terms of match sharpness they are probably ahead of us but there’s no reason why we can’t come here and do extremely well and that’s what we are hoping to do.

“But we’ve got a good competitive group, we believe we have a good squad and we are hoping we can come here and do ourselves justice tomorrow night.

“You can see when you walk down the tunnel, you can see their record in Europe but they have brought a new manager in and have started to do well. They’ve played Scottish competition before and know what they will be coming up against.”

Emma Finucane capped a breakout year as she became Britain’s first women’s sprint world champion in a decade at the UCI Cycling World Championships.

The 20-year-old got the better of Germany’s Lea Friedrich to win the final 2-0, the first time Britain had picked up a medal of any colour in this event since Becky James took the world title in 2013.

“It’s pretty surreal to be honest,” the Welsh rider said. “I can’t really believe that I’m world champion.

“I don’t think it will ever sink in but I really wanted this, I worked really hard for this with my coach Kaarle (McCulloch) and the team back in Manchester so it’s definitely super special.

“Especially after coming so close in the team sprint and then crashing in the keirin, but everything happens for a reason and this was meant to happen for me so it’s super special.”

Finucane has been a key part of Britain’s changing fortunes in the women’s sprint and last week was part of the trio that won team sprint silver alongside Sophie Capewell and Lauren Bell, building on their bronze last year.

This year she has also picked up four national titles, a Nations Cup win in Cairo, and two silver medals at the European championships.

“After winning in Cairo I knew it was in there and it’s just executing,” she said. “I knew I could do it, it’s just how you do it.

“This year has been pretty special for me and I’ve broken through but there’s still so much more to come for Paris, and I’m excited to start that journey again.”

There were emotional scenes with McCulloch, who is leaving her post after these championships for personal reasons, in tears during the celebrations.

“Emotions are super high because Kaarle is leaving and I feel like this was my last race with her and to win it with her and for her is super special,” Finucane added.

“I knew I was going well after the team sprint so I really wanted it in the keirin and after crashing I just used that as motivation to give everything and show everyone that I can do it.”

Jack Carlin missed out the medals in the men’s keirin on his home track as he took fifth place in the final, with Will Perrett also fifth in the men’s points race.

Anthony Joshua has acknowledged there is a doping problem in boxing but is unsure whether longer bans are the best solution for a cleaner sport.

Joshua was set to fight old rival Dillian Whyte at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, but Whyte had to be pulled from the bout after “adverse analytical findings” were discovered in his doping test by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) and he now aims to prove his innocence.

It saw 39-year-old Robert Helenius drafted in as a last-minute opponent but the elephant in the room for Joshua’s latest fight week is the worrying trend of positive tests in the sport.

During the past 18 months British duo Amir Khan and Conor Benn have failed drugs test and while Benn’s suspension was lifted last month, pending an appeal by UK Anti-Doping, it adds to the long list of boxers to fail tests with Tyson Fury and Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvaraz previously serving suspensions.

Joshua reflected on the darker side of the sport ahead of this weekend’s fight with Helenius and says targeting local gyms would help get to the root of the problem.

“There is a doping problem in the sport, definitely,” Joshua said.

“I can’t speak on the numbers, I don’t really mix inside the boxing industry. I don’t know but it’s a problem.

“Am I surprised? It happens in boxing. It’s not the first and won’t be the last, so no, I was not surprised to be honest.

“It is a dangerous sport but I am not disgusted. Boxing is not an institution where you join a club and everything is presented to you, these guys go to local gyms and they are around people who might be doing dodgy stuff so you have to be very, very responsible.

“I hope it is a mistake (for Whyte) but it shows why I have to invest in these tests and the team have now got Helenius tested because it is important because this stuff happens.

“It doesn’t fill me with anger, no, but it’s not good. I don’t think we just need longer bans, I think we need to look at it at the root.

“I don’t know the solution but I always mind my Ps and Qs because I don’t want my reputation damaged.”

Joshua is no stranger to seeing his opponent embroiled in a doping storm after Jarrell Miller failed a test ahead of their planned 2019 fight, which subsequently saw Andy Ruiz Jr given a chance and produce a huge shock victory at Madison Square Gardens to become world champion.

Miller would later serve a suspension and test positive again a year later but it has not stopped him accusing Joshua of doping.

Brixton boxer Whyte, meanwhile, has already served a two-year doping ban in 2012 and yet has taken aim at his British rival in the past with accusations of Joshua being “the Lance Armstrong of boxing” in 2019.

Joshua questioned: “How can people get away with doping if you are getting random drug tests?

“I get drug-tested all year round. Every quarter I have to submit my whereabouts, where I am going to be, every day, for every hour of the day so they can turn up randomly.

“I have submitted that every day of my life since 2011. So, I don’t know why I am under this pressure but all these other boxers aren’t?

“When you sign up to a promoter, they should all have that in the deal. It damages the sport. Look where we are at with this situation, we lost the fight and nearly lost the card because of this situation.

“I have a long history of being drug-tested and sometimes you have to question the person who keeps pointing the finger.

“It’s funny that the two people who have accused me have popped dirty themselves.

“Maybe they did it because of my physique or my success, my rise. It maybe didn’t make sense to them but it’s God-gifted and a lot of hard work.”

Joshua first found out about Whyte’s failed test on Saturday morning and despite wanting to fight at O2 Arena, he would never have stepped in the ring with the south Londoner after learning of his test results.

“I don’t know what Dillian supposedly took,” Joshua said.

“(But) I wouldn’t fight him on drugs, no way. It’s not right, it’s not morally right.

“I was drug-tested in our previous fight, I have been drug-tested since 2011, I don’t know if he was on drugs when he boxed before, but I won.”

Former Las Vegas Raiders wide receiver Henry Ruggs was sentenced Wednesday to three to 10 years in prison for killing a woman and her dog while driving drunk in November 2021.

Ruggs pleaded guilty in May to a felony charge of driving under the influence causing death in the accident that killed 24-year-old Tina Tintor near the Las Vegas Sunset Strip on Nov. 2, 2021, as well as a misdemeanour count of vehicular manslaughter. 

The 2020 first-round pick will be eligible for parole after three years.

Police reports stated that Ruggs was driving at speeds of up to 156 mph before his Chevrolet Corvette Stingray rear-ended an SUV driven by Tintor. Tests taken after the incident revealed Ruggs' blood alcohol content to be over 0.16 per cent, more than twice the legal limit in Nevada.

Tintor and her dog, Max, died from thermal injuries as a result of the accident, according to the Clark County cornorer's office.

The Raiders released Ruggs from the remainder of his four-year, $16.7 million contract less than 24 hours after his arrest.

Ruggs read a prepared statement during Wednesday's hearing in which he apologised to Tintor's family and expressed remorse for his actions.

"To the parents and family of Ms. Tintor, I sincerely apologise for the pain and suffering my actions the morning of Nov. 2, 2021 have caused you, your family and those who knew Ms. Tina and Max," he said. 

"I let my family, my teammates and those who believed in me down with my actions and hurt so many."

The Raiders selected Ruggs with the 12th overall pick of the 2020 draft. The 24-year-old appeared in 20 games with Las Vegas and totalled 921 receiving yards and four touchdowns on 50 catches. 

Sports stars and clubs across the world continue to provide an insight into their lives on social media.

Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the best examples from August 9.

Football

Reece James reflected on a big day.

John McGinn reminisced.

Newcastle turned the clock back.

As did Manchester City.

And Ajax.

And Crystal Palace.

Some of Australia’s landmarks were lit in green and gold.

Premier League media day.

Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale said farewell to Matt Turner.

Formula One

Valtteri Bottas was back on his bike with a friend.

Moods were measured on the Hulk scale.

George Russell enjoyed his holiday.

Tennis

One tennis great wished another a happy birthday.

UFC

Conor McGregor was getting some sun.

David Menuisier’s Heartache Tonight will seek soft ground as she returns from a brief break at the height of summer.

The three-year-old is an own sister to the stable’s former star Wonderful Tonight, a multiple Group One winner who also ran in the colours of Christopher Wright.

Wright and Andy MacDonald jointly own Heartache Tonight, who won her sole two-year-old start and then kicked off this season with a third-placed run in the Group Three Prix Cleopatre at Chantilly.

A good fourth, beaten only a length and a half, followed in the Group One Prix Saint-Alary, after which she headed to Epsom for the Oaks as a 28-1 shot.

There she ran a gallant race and led for a spell before losing ground two furlongs from home and eventually finishing sixth on ground quicker than ideal.

Connections have given her an easier time since but she is limbering up to run again and has a range of entries on both sides of the Channel.

After incredibly wet weather the ground is drying again, however, and Menuisier will seek cut in the turf when he decides which race to target.

“Heartache Tonight is absolutely fine, she’s had a break and is back in training,” he said.

“She’s entered on Sunday in the Prix Minerve at Deauville, but we’re looking at the weather forecast and I’m not sure if there’s enough rain for the weekend.

“She’s also in on the 19th (of August) in the Prix De Pomone at Deauville and possibly also in the Galtres at York and the Yorkshire Oaks.

“We’re not too sure where she’s going next, where the rains falls in an ideal world!”

Of the Epsom run he added: “She ran really well considering how quick the ground was.

“She had them pretty stretched out at the bottom of the hill and then the ground was just too quick for her to quicken again, but it was a very good display and I was really happy with her.”

England prop Ellis Genge believes the Rugby World Cup in France is a “wide open” tournament.

Only four countries – New Zealand, Australia, South Africa and England – have won the competition across its nine previous stagings.

But if the current world rankings prove an accurate guide, then a new name could be engraved on the trophy this time around with Ireland currently topping that list and France holding third place.

“Someone spoke to me recently and said about Ireland, South Africa and Eddie (Jones) going back to Australia,” England prop Genge said.

“They didn’t even mention New Zealand, so it shows where people’s heads are at. New Zealand are still one of the best teams in the world.

“You have seen the upsets we’ve had in recent years, and I think it is wide open.

“I think any good team is very, very good at what they do. There is no magic potion.

“You have to be very good at what you set out to do, and that is what all the best teams in history have done.

“I think the key factor is finding your identity and being really good at that. It is about hanging your hat on something.”

While Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and Scotland all find themselves in the draw’s top half, England’s initial testing hurdles appear to be pool rivals Argentina – they meet in Marseille on September 9 – and potential quarter-final opponents Australia, Wales or Fiji if they reach the last-eight.

Genge is set to win his 50th cap at some point during England’s World Cup warm-up schedule.

Since the last tournament in Japan four years ago, when Genge made two appearances as a replacement, he has captained his country and established himself as England’s first-choice loosehead prop.

He is also among two World Cup vice-captains named by head coach Steve Borthwick, joining Courtney Lawes in understudying World Cup skipper Owen Farrell.

Asked how much he feels he has grown as a player since the last World Cup, Genge added: “I wouldn’t even pin it on growing as a player, to be honest. It’s more growing as a person.

“I’ve had two kids in that space of time. I’ve had some things go on with my family, so I moved back home (to Bristol).

“I am probably in a lot better spot psychologically, as opposed to looking at my performances on the pitch, which have obviously been bolstered by what has happened off it. They definitely coincide.

“It’s about that mentality of switching off, which I am quite good at, and then turning it back on when it counts.

“Switching off is very easy when you’ve got two young kids and a dog – a very big dog at that! That has really helped me as a person and the gym (Genge’s fitness business) is another avenue to take my mind off the game.

“Going into this World Cup, I am more of a senior player and I can’t wait to get involved. I really want to get going now.”

* Ellis Genge is a Dove Men+Care ambassador. For more rugby and stories of personal growth and selfcare, follow @DoveMenUK Twitter or @DoveMenCare Instagram

Rory McIlroy has thanked Tiger Woods for easing the burden on his fellow players by joining the PGA Tour’s policy board in response to anger at the proposed deal between golf’s rival factions.

Woods and McIlroy have been the biggest advocates of the established tours in their battle with LIV Golf, but were kept in the dark before the shock announcement of a deal between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which bankrolls LIV.

Masters champion Jon Rahm said players felt a sense of “betrayal” that the deal was negotiated in secret, with PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan facing calls to resign when the Framework Agreement was revealed on June 6.

Woods becoming a player-director is part of what the PGA Tour announced last week as a new agreement “to ensure that the Tour lives up to its mission of being a player-driven organisation, for the players, by the players”.

It means the new board will be made up of six player-directors, five independent directors – including a replacement for Randall Stephenson, who resigned over “serious concerns” about the deal last month – and the PGA of America director.

Woods, 47, has not played since withdrawing from April’s Masters and concedes his playing opportunities will be extremely limited going forward, but the 15-time major winner remains a hugely influential figure in the game.

McIlroy, who is also on the policy board with Patrick Cantlay, Webb Simpson, Charley Hoffman and Peter Malnati, said: “It’s a great addition.

“The player that, especially over the last 20 years, has left the biggest legacy on the game, for him to be involved in the discussions around the future of professional golf and what that may look like is very important.

“Tiger’s stepped up for all of us on Tour and I think he realises all the players on the policy board are trying to play regular golf and at the same time trying to navigate all these different things as well, so he’s maybe got a little bit more time on his hands than we do.

“So for him to step up and sort of take a little bit of the load off us is very much appreciated.”

McIlroy was speaking in a press conference ahead of this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship as he bids to win the overall FedEx Cup title for a fourth time.

The 34-year-old has brought an old putter out of his garage to use at TPC Southwind in Memphis as he tries to overhaul Masters champion Jon Rahm and world number one Scottie Scheffler at the top of the standings.

“I sort of treat it like a 12-round tournament,” McIlroy added of the play-offs format. “You’ve got 12 rounds to play, and you’re trying to go out there and get the best out of yourself for those 12 days.

“I missed the cut here last year and then was able to bounce back with a good finish at the BMW (Championship) and then go on and win the Tour Championship.

“If you’re up there in the standings, at least you know you’ve got a little bit of wiggle room. Going into the Tour Championship, if you’re sort of within four of the lead starting on Thursday, I think you’re in a really good spot.”

McIlroy’s place in Europe’s Ryder Cup team for this year’s contest in Rome was officially confirmed on Wednesday, along with that of Rahm, but the Northern Irishman’s preparation will be somewhat unorthodox.

After the PGA Tour season finishes McIlroy will return to Europe for the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship, but added with a smile: “I’ve got a buddy’s bachelor party in Mykonos after Wentworth for a few days and then I have a few days to dry out before the Ryder Cup.”

The New York Knicks and swingman Josh Hart have agreed to terms on a four-year contract extension worth $81 million, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday.

The 28-year-old Hart is now under contract through the 2027-28 season after he exercised his $12.96 million player option for the 2023-24 campaign on June 30.

New York acquired Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers on February 9 as part of a four-team trade. He averaged 10.2 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.36 steals while shooting 58.6 percent overall and 51.9 percent (27 of 52) from 3-point range in 25 games after joining the Knicks.

The Utah Jazz selected Hart in the first round (30th overall pick) in 2017 before sending him to the Los Angeles Lakers in a draft-night trade.

Hart played his first two NBA seasons with the Lakers before getting dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans in July 2019 as part of the trade that saw Los Angeles acquire Anthony Davis.

New Orleans sent Hart to Portland in February 2022.

Hart has averaged 9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 372 career games, including 170 starts.